Do you like fiestas, hoedowns, Mardi Gras, Lunar New Year and Disney Characters? Then you won’t want to miss the next eight weekends at Disneyland park. We’re calling them “Family Fun Weekends” and they run Jan. 14 through March 6.

Families know they can find magic and excitement whenever they visit Disneyland Resort, and the next eight weekends will offer a special reason to play at Disneyland park.

“Family Fun Weekends” are themed events that invite guests to enjoy music, dancing, and special food and merchandise, along with a chance to meet and take photos with some Disney characters in specially themed attire. This weekend, for example, Fiesta Mickey and Minnie Mouse will greet you at Festival Arena in colorful, folklorico attire.

These events take place weekend days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first five weekends will be held at Festival Arena (at the back of Frontierland), and the final three weekends will move to New Orleans Square.

Here’s a brief description of the fun, and we’ll tell you more in the coming weeks.

Disney’s Kickin’ Country Weekend – Jan. 21-23: This weekend will feature live music – including band Forth Worth West – and a Disney hoedown with Cowboy Mickey and Cowgirl Minnie Mouse.

Character Fan Days – Jan. 28-30: This is your chance to meet and take photos with some rarely seen characters. Think of this as the ultimate Disney character reunion – featuring the characters that you told us you would most like to meet. (We’ll announce the results of our Character Facebook poll later this week on the Disney Parks Blog.)
Lunar New Year Festival – Feb. 4-6 and Feb. 11-13: Two weekends will be devoted to Lunar New Year, when time-honored traditions and family celebrations are observed within the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures as the sun and moon begin their journeys for another year.

Mardi Gras – Feb. 18-20, Feb. 25-27 and March 4-6: Three weekends will be devoted to a lively, New Orleans-style Mardi Gras event, with vibrant excitement, jazzy music and sensational food of New Orleans. Where else? At New Orleans Square. Princess Tiana, along with a cavalcade of some Disney characters in their Mardi Gras finery, will appear at a photo location in the Court of Angels, staffed by Disney PhotoPass photographers.

Check back on the Disney Parks Blog each week, for more details on the weekend events.

18 Comments

1

Mia on January 11th, 2011 at 4:19 pm

the mariachi divas are AWESOME!! they serenaded me & my friend while there a couple of summers ago & just loved them. it’s great to see that the same group is still together, such a wonderful experience after tasting fresh tortillas @ the mission factory & sippin’ on margaritas. ;o)

2

Amy on January 11th, 2011 at 5:19 pm

I CANNOT WAIT FOR CHARACTER FAN DAYS!!! I think it’s awesome that old characters will be coming back for pictures and autographs! Can’t wait to see who’s coming!

3

Fred from CA on January 11th, 2011 at 5:55 pm

I’m looking forward to “Character Fan Days.”

I really hope that there will be more opportunities in the future to vote on rarely seen characters at Disneyland.

4

Torri on January 11th, 2011 at 6:21 pm

I have to ask about the character fan days. Are ALL the winning characters we voted on going to be there for ALL 3 days, or are you doing certain characters on certain days?

5

Tammy on January 11th, 2011 at 6:24 pm

cant wait for character fun days all of the weekends sound like a lot of fun except for this weekend but that is my personal dislike I dont care for mariachi music it sounds “off” to me and it makes me want mexican food but to each his own ill just stay away form frontier land I always go through there quickly anyway it is way too busy over there

6

Philip on January 11th, 2011 at 6:26 pm

These Family Fun Weekends sound like awesome ideas!

Walt Disney World should offer them as well.

7

Connie from CA on January 11th, 2011 at 6:35 pm

Lynnette on January 11th, 2011 at 6:46 pm

Welcome to the Disney Blog, Michelle! My family and I are looking forward to these Family Fun weekends. I think the Character Fan Days and the Lunar New Year Festival are my favorites. Hoping for a bit of special pyro for the New Year celebration and excited to see which characters will be making their special appearances.

9

Justin on January 11th, 2011 at 9:32 pm

Will Louis be making an appearance at Mardi Gras?? I voted for him in the Facebook poll for Character Fan Days but he wasn’t doing so well. It’d be great to meet him!

10

Sergio on January 11th, 2011 at 10:28 pm

Please,please,please let us have a star wars weekend at Disneyland.

11

Suzanne on January 12th, 2011 at 12:06 am

Hello Michele! Wonderful to see you here on the Disney Parks Blog! I look forward to your posts.
I can’t decide which of these events I’m more excited about attending.

12

jesus from CA on January 12th, 2011 at 2:42 am

hello that it to anyone can someone tell me when it gonna be the new parade from disneyland couse im taking my little brother i want to see a parade thanks

13

Gloria on January 12th, 2011 at 5:16 pm

going this weekend for fiesta days!!! how many weekends can i attend? sky’s the limit!!! for sure have to go to character fan days with the grandkids and their autograph books!!!

14

Danielle from CA on January 13th, 2011 at 12:37 pm

I think this is an AWESOME idea!! My kids are gonna love it! we can’t wait to go to ALL of them 😉

15

Erin on January 13th, 2011 at 1:52 pm

Character Fan Days are a BRILLIANT idea! It is ideas like these that will help keep the memory of the older classics alive at Disneyland.

16

Thomas on January 17th, 2011 at 12:06 am

My 10 year old daughter had a ball out there at the first of these events today, yet the Arena was virtually empty all day. There was absolutely no publicity or notification that anything special was haoppening anywhere in the Park, except for three small signs on Big Thunder Trail leading up from Frontierland. No signage in the parking structure or esplanade. Not even any mention on the map or times guide. Such a fun event could have been a lot more popular with just a little publicity.

17

staci on January 24th, 2011 at 11:31 pm

How can I find out more about the Lunar Days? We will be there starting Feb 3rd & 4th. Will there be more characters there?

18

Mary on January 30th, 2011 at 11:01 pm

Spent the morning getting some of the best photos ever! Posing with the 7 Dwarfs, King Louie w/Baloo, & Donald & Daisy Duck, just to name a few, made it one of our favorite visits ever…even tho we got very wet in the process! Thanks Disneyland!

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